Taking Chances
by Lucy Maria Elmer
Summary: Penny and Frieda welcome a new arrival.


Taking Chances.

I own nadda. Just playing!

For Team Frenny who I adore!

~~~~

Frieda Petrenko sat silently in the hospital side room unable to tear her gaze away from the incubator positioned by her sleeping lover's bedside. In it lay the beautiful little girl that her beloved Penny Valentine had spent the last nine months carrying safely inside of her womb; a baby girl who had begun her arrival into the world and indeed into Holby City hospital a long twelve hours previously. She was a baby biologically a Petrenko, who had been implanted as an embryo into Penny's womb all those months ago in an act of commitment to Frieda as her life partner, by a woman who desperately wanted a baby with the Ukranian beauty that she had loved for the last three years of her life. Never had Frieda been so proud, nor felt so lucky to have such a wonderful and thoughtful woman at her side.

A tiny hand clasped Frieda's finger as she watched the tiny bundle softly gurgling at her mummy's bedside, dark hair peeping out from beneath the pink knitted cap that covered her head, and her legs kicking up in the air as the Ukrainian Doctors fingers gently tickled her tummy. Frieda thought as she looked at the child, that she had never felt such love before in her life for anyone as she did for her daughter and her lover at that very moment. For the first time in her life she finally felt complete and she knew that there was nowhere else she wanted to be for the rest of her days than by the side of Penny Valentine, raising their daughter together in an irrevocable act of love.

She remembered as she sat there gently stroking the soft skin of their daughters cheek the moment three weeks after their third course of fertility treatment that she had seen Penny slumped over the AAU desk at the hospital, nauseous and pale. Worry had filled her as she had approached the stunning redhead, and tears had formed behind her eyes as she considered the toll that the treatments ineffectiveness had been wreaking upon her month upon month when she'd had her period or pregnancy tests had come back negative. As Frieda reached her that day however she had been met with the biggest and most beautiful smile that she had ever seen cross Penny's lips, even beating that of the moment that she had told her that she loved her for the first time.

"You're going to be a mama." Penny had whispered, pulling Frieda tightly into her embrace and taking her hand into her own, placing it gently upon her still flat stomach. Every beautiful moment from that second on had been leading up to this.

As her daughter began to grizzle Frieda quietly got up out of her seat and took the little girl into her arms, lifting the tiny bundle up to her lips so that she could gently kiss her tiny forehead.

"Hush now baby girl, mama's here." She whispered, walking over to the window as she rocked the baby gently in her arms. "Your mummy asleep. We don't want to wake her just yet do we? She very tired after working so hard to get you here safe and sound." She cooed, again unable to take her eyes off the perfect features of their little girl, a little girl who Penny had taken such great care of throughout the pregnancy...a child who both women had been completely in love with since they had first become aware of her presence in the redheads womb.

As the child once again wrapped her tiny little fingers around her mother's Frieda thought back over Penny's pregnancy, of the moment during their first scan when she had seen her baby's heartbeat and how during the next one they had both heard it and cried their eyes out with joy unable to believe that their dream was finally a reality. She remembered when Penny had first realized that her scrubs didn't fit anymore and had been completely distraught until it finally dawned upon her that it was because a bump was forming which housed the child that they so wanted; a bump which Penny had run across AAU one day to place Frieda's hand upon so that for the very first time she could feel their daughter move. Most of all she remembered the pride that she had felt knowing that Penny was carrying her baby because she wanted to bring a part of Frieda into the world to which she herself could hold a natural bond; something Frieda herself hoped to do with Penny's child one day so that their little bundle could have a baby brother or sister. Penny had been so happy to be pregnant. She had so loved their unborn girl every day of the last nine months, determined to keep her safe and protected no matter the cost. It was at some point then that Frieda had become truly sure that this was the woman who she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. She was the best thing that had ever happened to the Ukrainian, and for her and her daughter Frieda felt truly blessed.

"I would do anything for you and your mummy. I want you to know that and to remember for rest of your life. I love you both so, so much my beautiful girl." She whispered to the child, completely overcome by tiredness and emotion. "I do not know if I believe in God, but if there is one...I thank him every day for giving me both of you." She added, kissing her daughter on the forehead again as she began to hum a soft tune to settle her, thinking every moment that passed of the pure joy that had filled Penny's features as she had held their baby for the first time after her birth and how full her own heart had been when she had seen such joy on her beloveds beautiful face.

Walking over to Penny's bedside, Frieda perched on the edge, careful that neither she nor the child in her arms disturbed the exhausted Doctor. She then bent down and kissed the English rose softly on her lips, and couldn't help but think as she did so what it would be like to one day in the future carry the redheads biological child so that she too could know the overwhelming love and emotion that Frieda currently felt knowing that her partner had undertaken such a beautiful and selfless act.

A soft knock came from the door and Frieda was pulled away from her thoughts by the vision of a familiar figure creeping inside clasping a gorgeous old fashioned teddy bear in his arms.

"Just a little gift from the rest of Team Spence...where it all began" He teased, walking over to the brunette and the little girl and setting the teddy bear carefully in the incubator. "Wow Sputnik, she's a stunner." Michael Spence whispered softly as he studied the delicate features of the baby cradled in the Ukrainians arms.

"My girlfriend or our daughter?" Frieda teased, a proud smile forming on her lips as he grinned in response.

"Both...but this little madam particularly." He commented, running a finger along the soft skin of the newborns cheek.

"What can I say? She has good gene."

Michael smiled.

"She has a beautiful family." He agreed, settling himself in Frieda's chair. "A twelve hour labour huh? She must be exhausted."

Frieda nodded, her gaze once again falling to her beloved.

"She was amazing. No pain relief...she just battled through. Wanted to be completely alert when little lady was born."

Frieda smiled at her daughter proudly.

"She's a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for. The pair of you are. When Penny fell pregnant, some of the negativity..."

Michael sighed.

"It was...not nice." Frieda commented looking down at the floor as she remembered some of the comments that people had made regarding their partnership and again in regards to their decision to have a baby together. While their close friends and colleagues had been supportive and had been happy for the pair, others...others had not been quite so understanding and at times it had heartbreakingly threatened to tear the couple apart.

"I'd imagine not. It made me angry just hearing you both talk about it. I think that was the first time I ever saw you cry. I remember thinking, Petrenko doesn't do that. It was the day you'd both come back so happy from hearing her heartbeat on the scan to be faced with someone spray painting your lockers with the word 'unnatural.'"

Michael visibly shuddered, and Frieda couldn't help but feel touched.

"Penny used to come home and tell me how much you stand up for us to people who didn't know us. I don't think I have ever thanked you properly for that...for looking out for her and for Annabelle before she born."

"Hey. We're all family on AAU, and you know I don't buy into all that 'unnatural' garbage. You love each other and people who love each other have babies. You can't help who you love Frieda. Trust me. I know." He replied, stealing a glance at Penny and emitting a small sigh. "But you...you both followed your hearts no matter how hard it was going to be. No matter how scary and I have nothing but respect for you, both of you, for the path that you have chosen so that you can have the family together that you deserve. "

Frieda studied the American and felt her heart break a little for him as understanding filled her in regards to his words. Had her love for Penny have been both unrequited and unreciprocated, she was sure that her heart would be aching almost as much as his clearly was now. Still he was there offering his support, offering words of comfort to two people for whom he had been a rock for the entire four years that they had been in a relationship together. Gently getting up from her position at Penny's side Frieda walked over to him, placing the little girl carefully into his arms.

"I thought you like to meet her properly." Frieda commented as she watched him move her into a more comfortable position.

" Hell yeah I would." He replied with a grin as he rocked her gently in his arms. "I'm your Uncle Mike." He whispered softly.

"Your godfather Annabelle." Another voice called out and both Michael and Frieda looked up to see Penny wide awake and watching them.

"Godfather?" Michael whispered as he looked at the child. "Are you..? You know you don't have to..."

"Yeah we do." Frieda replied, once again taking her spot at Penny's side and kissing her girlfriend tenderly on the lips. Penny took Frieda's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"So what do you say?" Penny asked, resting her head on Frieda's shoulder as they watched their friend cradle their so wanted daughter. "Is Annabelle the newest and youngest member of Team Spence?"

"I'm hardly gonna say no am I?" He grinned. "So I'm your godfather huh Annabelle? Well it's so lovely to finally meet you."

Annabelle began to suckle on Michael's finger.

"I'm afraid though sweetness that even my godfatherly duties can't help you with that." He then added, getting up gently and handing the baby to Penny who cradled her in her arms protectively. "Lunch time." He whispered, giving Annabelle, Penny and Frieda a kiss on the forehead each before walking to the door. "I'll see you girls later." He said softly, looking at the trio wistfully before leaving them so that Penny could nurse her newborn daughter.

For a moment the duo sat there quietly, watching in awe as the little girl nursed and reveling in the knowledge that they were now a family.

"She's perfect." Penny whispered as Frieda tenderly kissed the top of her head.

"So are you." She replied, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small box. "Do you know what would make today even more perfect though Valentine?" Frieda asked, and Penny shook her head, frowning as she noticed Frieda's shaking hands. "That would be if you were to agree to be my wife." She added, opening the box to show Penny a delicate diamond ring.

"Frieda..." Penny whispered, running a finger over the engagement band.

"It not just because of baby. I been thinking about this for a while You make me so happy. You give me you...you give me Annabelle...you give me more happiness than I deserve. I want to do same. I want to be yours forever. To raise Annabelle...to raise more children...to be with you until death us do part. So will you? Will you marry me?"

"Frieda...yes...yes of course..." Penny replied tearfully. "Of course I'll marry you."

"Then today you make me happiest woman alive." Frieda commented truthfully as she pushed the ring onto Penny's index finger and pulled her into a careful embrace. "I love you." She whispered into the redhead's ear as tears of happiness streamed down her flawless olive cheeks. "And her. So  
>much."<p>

Penny followed Frieda's gaze to Annabelle and she smiled as the little girl took her finger in her hand.

"And we you sweetheart. And we you." Penny told her beautiful fiancée as they both settled back against the pillows and watched as their daughter drifted off to sleep.

The End.  
>~~~~<p> 


End file.
